The Gospel of Luke reveals the Lord to us in His holy manhood. We see Him there the Man Christ Jesus. Thus it has been taught, and we believe rightly. The whole character of the Gospel bears witness to this. Yet it is instructive and we must take notice of it, that titles are given to Him in the very beginning of it that warn us that though Man, He is different to every other man that ever came into the world. He is the Son of Man, and the Seed of the woman, most certainly, but He is also the Son of God. And we question whether any other Gospel is more emphatic than Luke's as to the divine titles of the Lord. Let us consider some of these.
Said the angel to Mary, "Thou shalt … bring forth a Son, and shalt call His Name JESUS" (1:31). He was the true Son of His mother; He came into the world "made of a woman" (Gal. 4:4), but, added the angel, "He … shall be called the Son of the Highest." No wonder that Mary enquired as to how such a thing could be. The answer was, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy Thing which shall be born of thee shalt be called the Son of God" (1:35).
When Elizabeth welcomed Mary to her home she greeted her by the surprising title of "the mother of MY LORD" (1:43). What was it that made her address her young kinswoman like that? We are not told that she had heard of the angel's visit to Mary, then how did she know what lay before her? The answer is that she "was filled with the Holy Ghost" (v. 41), and she spoke by divine inspiration.
Her husband Zacharias, also, was filled with the Holy Ghost and he addressed his child John saying, "And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of THE LORD to prepare His ways" (v. 76).
To the shepherds who watched their flocks by night the angel announced, "Unto you is born … a Saviour, which is CHRIST THE LORD" (2:11). And to Simeon, the Holy Ghost revealed that "he should not see death before he had seen the LORD'S CHRIST" (2:26). By the same Spirit he came into the Temple, and he took the Child Jesus into his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen THY SALVATION" (2:29-30).
The first words that are recorded for us from His own lips, when Mary spoke of Joseph and herself as, "Thy father and I" were, "Wist ye not that I must be about MY FATHER'S BUSINESS" (2:49).
But when angels, spirit-filled women, and pious men, had borne witness to Him, the heavens were opened and the Father spoke from the excellent glory, and said, THOU ART MY BELOVED SON, IN THEE I AM WELL PLEASED" (3:22).